#originally i was trying to work out how the contestants would simulate being glutened

[fred-the-dinosaur]

I once had an idea for a game show where a bunch of non-celiac contestants had to live gluten free for a period of time and every time they shopped or ate out they'd be "judged"by a panel of celiacs.

They'd go through their weekly shopping and take out everything that looked safe but wasn't (tinned soups, any frozen or premade meals, normal stuff that's full of traces, soft drinks, yoghurt, all those 'gluten free staples' like lentils that you can't bloody buy safe ones of etc.etc) and for every mistake (ie 'glutening') they'd take money off the prize.

Ditto for if they went out to eat, they'd have infractions for obvious things but the contestants would also roll dice to avoid 'cross contamination' etc etc. and again lose money off the prize.

Plus they'd have to keep to regular budgets of money and time (going to five shops just to get most of your basics). And some of them would get other assignments to complicate things (ie one contest ALSO can't eat lactose, one is also trying to be vegetarian, sesame allergy, diabetes blood sugar control requirements etc etc) Plus if they cross contaminated in their own house etc.etc.

Anyway that's what I sometimes fantasise about when I'm dreading doing the shopping again.

My hot take is that actually food allergies are a disability and more people need to realize that. The amount of research people with food allergies have to do when they want to go visit places but arent sure if they’ll have access to any food there is insane. Allergy friendly food is almost ALWAYS incredibly expensive in stores bc of all those fucking fad diets that like yoga instructors and middle age soccer moms make popular. And on top of the price, it is so hard to FIND! Almost evrry grocery store ive been to has a tiny ass allergy section that is almost always near empty. Plus what about people who don’t have the money to pay 10$ for a loaf of bread? You go to starbucks and non-dairy milks are like 70 cents extra? People are definitely out there buying and eating stuff that is destroying their digestive systems because they have no other choice. I am begging people to stop pretending that catering to people’s food allergies is elitist and not worth is. We need to make these options openly available.